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by bogomipz 1226 days ago
No, it's not pedantry at all. It just sounds like you are not at all familiar with New York City. Delivery services almost exclusively use e-Bikes(which must be charged) and gas powered scooters. Further in New York City you have always been able to walk a few blocks and pick up your own groceries, stick them in your canvas bag and then put the trash in the city provided recycling bins. This actually was the "status quo" before the endless onslaught of vc-backed food delivery services. It still is the status quo for many. Lastly the city also runs a program called ZeroWaste where you can also bring your foods scraps for composting.[1] There are literally hundreds of ZeroWaste drop off locations which are often located in parks and green markets. You can actually pedal a bike in a dedicated bike lane or take the train to get there.

[1] https://www.grownyc.org/compost
1 comments
the_gastropod 1226 days ago
Heh. I lived in NYC for over a decade and used to volunteer with GrowNYC in Brooklyn :)

Beyond that, I'm not sure your point?! The city-run "ZeroWaste" drop off locations certainly produce some waste (heat waste from the vehicles transporting the compost bins, for instance?). My point was: the ZERO is not literally zero. It's "significantly less" than status quo. Even Bea Johnson, of "Zero Waste Home" fame, proudly displays her small jar of waste she collects every year. She's never pretended there's literally no waste in her life.

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bogomipz 1226 days ago
So you accuse others of pedantry and then go on to make a statement such as:

>"The city-run "ZeroWaste" drop off locations certainly produce some waste (heat waste from the vehicles transporting the waste, for instance?).?"

Brilliant.

My point was very clear - you don't need a delivery service to get your groceries with minimal environment impact in a place like NYC. I clearly articulated all the ways that already exist to accomplish that with very little effort and no lifestyle change. If you lived in NYC for a decade then surely you should know this.

Honestly your comments read more like trolling than anything else. Also the constant "heh" and "lol" is very tiresome and not all conducive to a productive discussion.

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the_gastropod 1226 days ago
...Whoa. There's a gross misunderstanding happening somewhere. I apparently haven't articulated myself well here. Let me try to recap:

1. itake criticized the term "Zero Waste" because zero waste things don't literally produce zero waste. I suggested that was a bit pedantic, because it seemed obvious. Nothing produces zero waste. My hunch is maybe you read more into this statement than was there?!

2. You responded suggesting I must be unfamiliar with New York City?! (It's not clear how you arrived at this?!) I understood you to believe that it's fair to criticize the term Zero Waste for not being literally Zero Waste. Then—as I understood it—you suggested that ZeroWaste programs in NY were status quo, and good examples of Zero Waste.

3. I responded explaining that I did live in NY. Was very familiar with GrowNYC. And that even good examples of Zero Waste (GrowNYC programs) still do literally produce waste, and I was therefore confused by your response. Are you arguing that it's pedantic to criticize the term "Zero Waste" for not literally producing no waste or aren't you?!

I wholeheartedly agree with you! I'm not sure where you think I'm being inconsistent or unfair?! The co-opting of "Zero Waste" by marketing departments used to peddle unnecessary nonsense is rather gross.

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